Friday, 27 May 2011

Plagued by a war between magic and technology, Atlanta has never been so deadly. Good thing Kate Daniels is on the job.

Kate Daniels may have quit the Order of Merciful Aid, but she’s still knee-deep in paranormal problems. Or she would be if she could get someone to hire her. Starting her own business has been more challenging than she thought it would be—now that the Order is disparaging her good name, and many potential clients are afraid of getting on the bad side of the Beast Lord, who just happens to be Kate’s mate.

So when Atlanta’s premier Master of the Dead calls to ask for help with a vampire on the loose, Kate leaps at the chance of some paying work. Turns out this is not an isolated incident, and Kate needs to get to the bottom of it—fast, or the city and everyone dear to her might pay the ultimate price . . .

Source: Info in the About Magic Slays was taken from the author's website at http://www.ilona-andrews.com/books/magic-slays/ on 24/05/2011.

Verdict: Another masterpiece!

Review:
The story telling quality is masterful! Again! But when I first started reading it, it seems that the story itself has gone just slightly stale to me. This is the fifth book in the Kate Daniels series and it seems like it's starting to feel like "same old, same old". However it became more engrossing again about three quarters into the book and there were a few revelations which points out to new exciting things happening in the coming books. Makes me eagerly look forward to the next book! Which begs the question, when is the next book coming out? And, how many books are slated for this series? As a reader, I am eagerly awaiting for the next Kate Daniels. Even though it started off feeling like it's more of the same old tune, the pace was still fast seeing that I inhaled this book overnight which I attribute to this authors' masterful story telling quality. This being book 5 in the series, I suggest that you read the previous books first as it will give a reader a better understanding of characters and events. However, for those who could not wait, I believe that this book can be read on it's own and a reader would still understand it as there is enough background info in the book to keep a reader in the loop, but I do not recommend that. If you skip the previous books and go straight to this one, you would be selling yourself short and miss out of hours and hours of wonderful reading pleasure since the previous books of this series are all brilliant reads! And if you don't read them in order, the subsequent books in the series have the inevitable spoilers of the previous books. My suggestion is to read this series according to it's reading order. Visit the author's website for more info at www.ilona-andrews.com.
Overall, I immensely enjoyed this book and would give it a score of 4.5 out of 5.

Thursday, 26 May 2011

In an alternate world, humanity and vampires have warred for centuries. After the last Vampire War, the veteran Warrior Priest (Bettany) lives in obscurity with other humans inside one of the Church's walled cities. When the Priest's niece (Lily Collins) is kidnapped by vampires, the Priest breaks his vows to hunt them down. He is accompanied by the niece's boyfriend (Cam Gigandet), who is a wasteland sheriff, and a former Warrior Priestess (Maggie Q).

Source: Info in the About Priest was taken from GetGlue at http://getglue.com/movies/priest/scott_stewart on 15/05/2011.

Review:
Before watching this movie, I haven't got a clue who Paul Bettany or Maggie Q are, but I like them now! However, Karl Urban is one of my fav authors but he plays the bad guy.

I like this angle on the vampire take... that vampires are a totally different specie to humans. Just as cats are of a different specie to dogs. I also like the action flicks, they were presented in such an authentic manner that I could totally believe that these priest warriors can do it. Awesome! For those bike enthusiasts, I guess the bikes in the movie would be like a "bike-candy" to you. They look fast and fab with nitro boosts which makes them go even faster! Cool!!It being a vampire movie, it didn't have too much gory details which I like. Just enough to make it realistic but not too much to make me wanna be sick. However, there were a couple of scenes there though that did not follow rational thought which brought the "suspension of disbelief" down a notch. But on the whole, I enjoyed this movie and was worth the money I paid for it at the cinema.Overall, I'd give this movie a 4 out of 5.

Janet Begay's Crossroads Hotel has attracted the supernatural ever since it opened. But a new, dark power is rising, this time inside Janet herself. Her boyfriend Mick, a sexy dragon shapeshifter the Navajo call a Firewalker, know what terrifying magic is threatening to overwhelm Janet and her Stormwalker powers. He watches over her, ready to fight for her, to do anything to keep her safe.

But then a mysterious corpse is found near the Crossroads Hotel-and Janet becomes the main suspect. Now Janet and Mick must uncover what really happened, and their investigation leads to the most perilous decision of their lives...

Source: Info in the About Firewalker was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7830969-firewalker on 13/02/2011.

Sunday, 22 May 2011

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old—when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.
Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.

Source: Info in the About Hounded was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9533378-hounded on 27/04/2011.

Review:
What a fantastic debut novel!!

I like the author's "voice". Compelling, easy to read and with humour between the pages. Absolutely wonderful!! Had me laughing out loud a few times. I think it's what made the story telling quality a 5 out of 5. It also makes for quick reading. I'd give the pace a 4.5 out of 5. The author is also very good at molding characters which I can relate to very easily. However my favouritest is not really the main character, though I like him too. It's his sidekick, Oberon! Now, where can you find a wolfhound who can sass like Oberon does? Mmm?! I'd give the character development a 5 out of 5. For those who have read Hounded, do you think Oberon might look like this pic we got here? And now the ending, it gives a satisfying resolution to the story's main dilemma. I'm an HEA kind of girl, and this book gave me that. The ending is what made me an instant Kevin Hearne fan! Can't wait to read the next book, Hexed! And here's the boon, Hexed is only a couple of weeks away, not a couple of years!!

Thursday, 19 May 2011

Went to see Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides yesterday and had a blast! Of course it ain't perfect. Some scenes don't follow logic and dips believability a notch down. And I think all the trailers I watched beforehand spoilt some scenes and ultimately the movie, a little bit. However I choose to ignore all of that and enjoy me some pirate action!

And of course, can't 'not tell you' my favouritest characters... Syrena and Philip! I think this pairing has been well casted indeed!! They look good together. Overall I would give this movie a 4.5 out of 5.

Kitty Norville is a midnight-shift DJ for a Denver radio station?and a werewolf in the closet. Her new late-night advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged is a raging success, but it?s Kitty who can use some help. With one sexy werewolf-hunter and a few homicidal undead on her tail, Kitty may have bitten off more than she can chew